CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARBULLETIN.COM
Brad Campbell relaxed yesterday under an umbrella on the strip of beach in front of Duke's Waikiki Barefoot Bar. The beach area between the Sheraton Moana Surfrider and the Outrigger Waikiki was under dispute by public beachgoers and the concession operators renting chairs and umbrellas to visitors. "Every year, I get up at 6:30 a.m. and claim our real estate for the day," said Campbell, who visits Hawaii annually with his family and packs his own umbrellas and beach chairs from California.

Waikiki protest nets clearer beach

The state is looking into complaints that a concessionaire is hogging beach space

Oklahoma resident Joe Garcia stretched his legs yesterday as he sat on a beach chair under the shade of a coconut tree in front of the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach Hotel.

"This is my home away from home," Garcia said.

Garcia was enjoying the legroom, something he could not do a day earlier, when blue umbrellas and lounge chairs set up on the sand by Beach Activities of Maui Inc. crowded everyone into smaller spaces.

At dawn Tuesday, Garcia was among about a dozen residents and tourists who claimed this busy section of beach to themselves, spreading beach mats, towels and chairs in front of Duke's restaurant.

Their sunrise protest was directed at Beach Activities of Maui, the concessionaire whose chairs and umbrellas were said to have been hogging too much space on the busy beach.

Their protest appeared to have paid off.

It is a big difference from Tuesday, said Mary Ann Mills, a Waikiki resident who has been frequenting that section of the beach since 1966.

While more space was available yesterday on the Diamond Head side of the hotel, many large umbrellas were set up on the Ewa side, close to the water line. The protesters also got the Department of Land and Natural Resources to pay attention.

CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARBULLETIN.COM
Suzanne Filleul and Carol Coyle relaxed yesterday on the beach in front of Duke's Waikiki Barefoot Bar. Filleul and Coyle had no problem finding a spot to enjoy their day.

Yesterday, two of its agents came to the beach, spoke with concessionaire representatives and protesters, and checked if attendants were "presetting" umbrellas and chairs, Land Board Chairman Peter Young said.

Young said the concessionaire is not presetting its umbrellas and that the company was being cooperative.

"They have a one-hour rule. They have people monitoring. If it sits idle for an hour, they'll remove it," Young said.

He said the DLNR will continue to monitor the area. "We want everybody to have an enjoyable experience on the beach. Sometimes it can get a little crowded," Young said.

Michael Kelley, owner of Beach Activities of Maui, declined to comment, but Bernard Thomas, director of operations, spoke on his behalf, saying, "We are following the rules and regulations of the state and DLNR, and we are abiding by our contract with the hotel."

Beach Activities of Maui took over the concession stand from Beach Boys Inc. in October.

The umbrellas and chairs set up on state land and available for rent by Beach Activities of Maui are open to the public and are not solely for Outrigger Waikiki hotel guests.

Neighboring hotels -- the Royal Hawaiian and the Sheraton Moana Surfrider -- have umbrellas set up within their property line for their guests.

Mills said attendants need to better monitor the rental use of umbrellas and chairs. Residents, tourists and hotel guests want to bring their own towels and beach mats to relax in front of Duke's restaurant instead of paying the rental fee for umbrellas and chairs, she said.